Colonel Samuel Rucker Whitall
Kentucky Post, Tuesday, 12 May 1903, page 3
WASHINGTON-Lieut. Col. Samuel R Whitall, of the 27th Infantry, has made a discovery of interest to the medical fraternity to the effect that common black pepper taken in large doses in the early stages of cholera, will arrest it completely.
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Kentucky Post, Wednesday, 5 August 1903, page 5
TO COMMAND-Col. Samuel R Whitall, Lieutenant Colonel of the Twenty-seventh Infantry, in the Philippines, by a War Department order, is advanced to Colonel and assigned to command the Third Infantry, USA at Ft Thomas, succeeding Col. John H Page, recently advanced to Brigadier General and retired.
Whitall is in the Philippines and is not expected to reach Ft Thomas for about three months.
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Kentucky Post, Tuesday, 11 August 1903, page 3
WILL SUCCEED COL PAGE-Col. Samuel R Whitall, who will command the Third Infantry at Ft Thomas when he returns from the Philippines, perhaps in three months, has been a soldier, boy and man for nearly 40 years. Duty has been his watch word all those years. "He is just an excellent soldier," said Adjt. Gen Corbin, discussing the appointment. "He never made much of a fuss about things. You may not hear very much from him or about him; but when you know Whitall is there, you know he is doing his duty."
Col. Whitall is 59 years old, tall, upright, a man of military bearing. His enthusiasm for his work is unbounded; but since the Spanish American War, in which he took a notable part, he is not as spry as before. Never in his life had he been on sick leave prior to the close of hostilities. Then the fevers got into his system in the Florida camps. Samuel R Whitall is a native of Michigan. His first military experience was toward the close of the Civil War, when he became a Second Lt. in the 2nd New York Artillery. Three years later in March of 1867, he received a commission in the regular army as 2nd Lt. of the 11th.
He served with his regiment in Virginia to March 1869, and though there were no enemies to overcome, he gained one of his greatest victories there. Lucy V Otey surrendered to the gallant young warrior. She came of Southern stock, was a member of the First Families. Her home was in Lynchburg and is the niece of Peter J Otey, who found for the South and died in Congress. Another relative is Senator Daniel of Virginia, also Congressman Carter Glass of that state.
In serving 10 years he became interested in metallurgy and studied the mining system of the West and is recognized as a mining expert. He invented new methods of working gold and silver ores and two of his sons are mine owners in Colorado. When the Spanish American War broke out he was detailed into Florida. The part taken by the 16th and 6th Infantry, the latter stationed at Ft Thomas just before the declaration of hostilities. It was there that Capt. Whitall first come in contact with the lads from Ft Thomas.
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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 9 June 1906, page 3
WILL QUIT-Chicago June 9-Col. Samuel Rucker Whitall, 27th US Infantry, during the last two years commandant at Ft Sheridan, is to retire.